Finger ring



May 5, 1925.

v D. s. THOMAS FINGER RING Filed March 11. 1924- Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,536,540 PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID S. THOMAS, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS. AS SICENORLTO JASON WEILER, WILLIAM WEILER, AND GUSTAVUS WEILER, DOING BUSINESS-UNDER THE FIRM NAME OF JASON WEILER & SONS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FINGER RING.

Application filed March 11, 1924.

T 0 all rr/to-m 1'! may concern:

Be it known that I, I)AVID S. Tnmms, a citizen of the United States, residing at lh'ookline. in the county of Norfolk and State. of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ringer Rings ot which the following is a specification.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a pair of finger rings, one of which may be called a primary ring. and is adapt:- ed for use by itself as an engagement ring, while the other may be called. a secondary ring, and is adapted "for Slll'JHttllltllt'. use, with the primary ring, as a wedding ring the ringshaving the same internal diameter and each rim being provided with coupling means, so that the rings may be interlocked and are inseparable when in use.

Another objectis to so improve the construction of the primary ring that it is provided with coupling means wholly within its body, so that the external form of the ring is not changed by the coupling means, there being no external ])l'0]GCi'l()n caused by said means, rendering the use of the primary ring by itselflas an engagement: ring, undesirable.

I attain the above-mentioned and other related objects by the improved construction hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is aside View, on an enlarged scale, of the primary rin FigureQ is a section on line 2-2 of Fig ure 1.

t Figure 3 is av side View, and

Figure 4 an edge View of the secondary ring. V V

Figure 5 is a sectional View, showing the relative positions of the two rings when the coupling means of the secondary ring is first inserted in the coupling means of the primary ring.

Figure 6 is a sectional View, showing the coupling means of the two rings interlocked.

.t igure 7 is a View similar to Figure 2, showing a ditterent construction of the primary ring.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

The primary ring 12 may have any desired external form and ornamentation,

" such as may be required by custom and con- Serial No. 698,363.

vention in an engagement. ring the ring having annular oppositely facing edge portions '12 and 19.", surrounding the linger-receiving opening, and a cavity between. said edge portions at one side of said opening. An essential element of this ring is acoupling means wholly within the body of the ring. said means including the annular edge portion 12" and a key-hole 13, in said edge portion, preferably formed as shown by Figure 1', one end of the keyhole being enlarged.

The secondary ring 14. may also have any desired external form and ornamentation, such as may be required by custom or convention in a wedding ring. An essential element of this ring is a coupling means wholly external to the body of the ring and embodied in a key including a shanklfi, tixed to. and projecting 't'rom one (it the an- .uular edge portions ol the ring. and a head 16, enlarged at one end as shown by liigure S, and torn'ied to pass through the. keyhole 11",.

The arrangement is such that the key is insertible in the key-hole only when the ring It is out of coincidence with the ring '12. as shown by Figure 5. Then the key is inserted and the ring 1% is turned into c0- incidence, with the ring 12. as shown by Figure (3, the head 16 of the key engages the edge portion 12 at: one end of the keyhole, so that the rings are inseparable when placed on a finger.

The shank 15 of the key fits closely, and is adapted to turn in the enlarged end of the key-hole 13, but is prevented from moving sidewise therein.

It will now be seen that. the ring 12 is adapted to be used by itself as an engagement ring. there being no coupling means projecting from its external surface to render such use undesirable. The ke vhole 13 is so small in a ring of operative size. that it is inconspicuous and not noticeable.

The construction is such that the internal diameter of each ring may be exactly the same as that of the other. so that when the period of use of the ring 12 by itself has expired. the two rings may be interlocked and worn as one.

The cavity in the ring 12. formed in part by the edge portion 122 may be an open cavity 1.7, communicating with the interior of the ring, as shown by Figures 2, 5 and 6, particularly when the ring is made of expensive material such as platinum. If desired a closed cavity 17 may be provided, as shown by Figure 7, the ring having an inner Wall entirely surrounding the finger openlng.

It is at present customary to ornament the portion of a wedding rin which is exposed at the outer side of the finger, by gems set in the outer portion of the ring. It is obviously unnecessary to thus ornament the inner portion of the ring. It will be seen that the secondary ring 14: may be provided with gems only at 'its outer side portion, this being the portion from one edge of which the key projects, and that when the rings are interlocked, the secondary ring is prevented from turning on the finger independently, so that its gems may be confined in a predetermined relation to a gem or gems set in the outer portion of the primary ring.

I claim:

1. A finger ring having annular oppositely facing edge portions surrounding the finger-receiving opening, a cavity between said edge portions at one side of said opening, and a key-hole formed in one of said edge portions and communicating with said cavity, the said edge portion and key-hole being adapted to engage a key projecting from an annular edge portion of a secondary ring.

2. A pair of finger rings including a priniary ring having coupling means wholly within its body, and embodied in an edge portion forming a wall of an internal cavity, and provided with a keyhole; and a secondary ring having coupling means wholly outside its outer surface, and embodied in a key projecting from an edge face of the secondary ring and adapted to be inserted in said key-hole and engage the edge portion of the primary ring in which the key-hole is formed, the arrangement being such that the key is insertible in the keyhole only when the auxiliary ring is out of coincidence with the primary ring,

and is interengaged with said edge portion when the two rings coincide.

8. In combination, a primary ring having a cavity between its opposite edge portions, one of said edge portions having a key-hole communicating with said cavity; and a secondary ring having a key fixed to, and projecting laterally from one of its edge portions, and adapted to enter and turn in said key-hole, the finger-receiving openings of the two rings being substantially the same diameter, the arrangement being such that the key can enter and leave the keyhole only when the rings are out of coinci dence with each other, and is. interlocked with the edge portion containing the keyhole when the rings coincide with each other.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature. I

DAVID S. THOMAS. 

